Northern Laos Motorbike Tour to Rural Village, Magnificent Caves and Landscape – 4 days

Our four-day motorcycle tour begins in Luang Prabang. From here, we travel along some magnificent dirt and asphalt roads, heading up north toward Nong Khiaw, located along the Nam Ou River and famous for its small villages of ethnic people on a hilltop nearby the forested mountains and rice fields. We will also cross the Mekong River by ferry and visit the historic Pak Ou caves along the way. Thousands of Buddha sculptures have been added to the Pak Ou caves over the years, making it an important site for Buddhism.

We will then continue your motorcycle ride toward Ban Nanyang, where we get the chance to see the locals’ well-preserved tradition of silk weaving and silk dying from natural materials. We stay overnight in an authentic homestay hosted by a local family in Ban Payong, where we can enjoy freshly cooked Lao food and have a deeper understanding of their unique way of life. If you are not interested in the homestay experience, we will accommodate them in a nearby guesthouse in Nong Khiaw.

The next morning we will ride out through the breathtaking Lao countryside on tar roads to Oudomxay. This province is well-known for its challenging mountainous roads, offering riders an exciting adventure in Laos that can hardly be beaten. We can stop in any local village in Oudomxay, where we will enjoy a quick bite and meet friendly people who are willing to share stories with us. Once we arrive in Luang Namtha in the late afternoon, we will be accommodated for the night at a local guest house. Louang Namtha is the capital city of Luang Namtha Province and lies on the Tha River. It is a popular tourist destination that offers a range of activities including trekking and biking to the surrounding hill tribe villages.

On the third day of our motorcycle tour, we travel from Luang Namtha to Pakbeng, a charming village with a temple in the hills that dates to the Kingdom of Lanna (Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields). This leg of the journey is more challenging with dirt roads, however, it is well worth it because we will be able to visit local villages and remote towns that are not very popular among tourists. We can interact with friendly people who come from various ethnic groups along the way. When we arrive in Pakbeng, we will be accommodated at a comfortable lodge that is within walking distance to the Mekong River. In Pakbeng, travelers can take the slow boat along the Mekong, trek to a local village, try local tipple, take a river cruise or go shopping in local market stalls.

On your final day, you will leave early from Pakbeng and ride out on your motorcycle to Hongsa, a majestic village that has two bustling markets that offer freshly prepared Lao food – a true heaven for foodies. We will then continue through Hongsa and back to Luang Prabang, riding out on dusty roads along the Mekong River with a few smaller river crossings along the way. Our four-day motorcycle ride concludes when we arrive in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. We hope that the short journey with many experience and memories of a peaceful northern Laos will give travelers an insight into this majestic region and leave them with lasting memories.